Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-16
rHs CBLOROrORAIsrs.
They Are the Cream of the Aristocrary OF the
Criminal Race.

They Are the Cream of the Aristocrary OF the
Criminal Race.
from q Paris Letter.
The chloroformisis, as they are called, arc
the aristocrscy OF the criminal race. They
are generally broken down society men, and
very often medical students who have gone
to the bad alter having learned, In the course
of their studies, the properties OF narcotics
and an a ,the,ics Their chief fields Of opera.
ton are the rail way carriages and the hotels,
the com partment sy stem Of the former giving
them every facility for carrying out their do.
signs Their method OF proceeding in the last
instance is as follows: He seeks what is tech.
picaily known as his " portfolio" /. g., Q rich
traveller who affords prof table opportunities
for the exercise Of his skill. He goes to look
for him q. the rail- way station OF one Of tho
long lines, such as the Paris, Lyons, and
Mediterranean road. He watches each per.
son that approaches the ticket office to buy
ticket, and selects some one who shows on
opening his pocket book, q goOdly collection
OF bauk notes. The chloroformist buys .
ticket for the same destination, takes seat
in the same compartment, gets into conv versa
ton with his fellow traveller, and finally
ends ny producing well niled lunch basket
He WAS to have been accom- panied by q
friend, he says, but at the last moment he 70
ceiveh q telegram (Which he produoes) an.
nounciDg that the friend had been hindered
from departing st the last moment That Is
Why he has = supply OF provisions for two
persons, two silver cups, etc. He offers to
share his supper with his new acquaintance
II the offer - accepted, the wine, which 10
heavily drugged, soon sends the traveller To
sleep. IL, on the contrary, 1t II refused, the
chioroformist partakes heartily OF . solitary
meal, aud winds up by lighting cigar, offer.
ing at the same time his cigar-case to his com.
panion, who, not to seem rude or churlish In
the presence Of such genial friendiiness, al.
most Invariably accepts cigar. 1t ISL pre-
pared" with q strong narcotic, ~ the wine
had been, aud the nlucky traveller 10 soon
plunged in = heavy stupor. Ths chloroform-
ist opens his phisl and places It for lev
moments under the nostrIls OF the sleeper,
gently applying to the mouth at the same
tirns a sheet If inc psrchm nj, known as the
"s,iier" and having the shape OF a carnival
II ask, ia function being the exc .usiop OF the
outer air. The victim is soon rendered
wholly iusersiote by the vapor OF the chic
form. the thief then commences operations
in perfect safety. He tax ~ possession OF the
pOckst-Dook, and enpties 1t of its bank notes,
replacing . few OF the smallest value He
then puts 1t back in the pocket from which
he had taken II, removes the parchment
mask from the face of the sleeper, and lsav-
ing the victims je@eiry and coined money
untouched, gets out OF the train At the next
station. The motive OF leaving his victim In
possession OF his jeweiry aud portmonnaie II
twofOld. II the traveller, on awakening,
finds that his watch and chain and his supply
OF coin are all right, he does not usually in
vestiRats his pockstDook, 50 the theft has .
chance of remaining undiscovered for several
hours or even days. He may, too, attribute
the loss OF his bank notes to piece OF care
lessDess or TO a mistake on his own part II,
on the other hand, as often happens, he
does not awake at all, but dies from the effects
of the narcotic and the chloroform, the au.
thorities, finding themselves in the presence
of a corpse presenting not the slightest trace
OF violence, aud with money. papers, and
vs!ushiss, apparently undisturbed, can only
attribute the deceass to natural csusea II u
. startling fact that cases OF sudden death In
the cars OF the great French railways have OF
Late become singularly frequent